Writing Style Guidelines from A to Z
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
N
noncredit One word with no hyphen.
numbers in fractions Use a hyphen when fractions are expressed in words, and use numbers rather than words for mixed numbers. Example: In the survey, one-third of the respondents gave a score of 4 1/2 or better.
numbers in ordinals Spell out first through ninth unless part of a formal name or title, and use numbers for 10 and up. Example: Vijay was a surprising third in the 3,000 meters while Sammy finished 12th.
numbers in ranges Use an en dash (which is the length of the letter n) to indicate ranges. To access the en dash on a Mac, press Option and Hyphen; for Windows computers, it's Alt and Hyphen. Example: They estimate that 200–300 students will attend the event.
numbers in ratios Use figures and hyphens with no spaces. Example: Yamashita used a ratio of 2-to-1 whereas a 5–3 ratio was used by Donaldson.
numbers in sentences Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence except for years. Avoid starting a sentence with a number; when unavoidable, spell out the number. Example: Forty students enrolled last year, and 60–70 are expected this year.
